On the move! (and other updates)

Lainey is officially crawling as of Saturday!  She has been scooting and moving around for at least a month but she finally put all of the pieces together this weekend.  It was really exciting to watch her discover her new abilities.  She was pretty pleased with herself!  And we were so proud of her!  Here is a video of one of her first crawling treks...

She was still pretty slow and hesitant until late this afternoon.  She crawled all of the way from the rug in the living room to the kitchen without stopping or slowing down.  I think I will be cleaning my floors a little more often as she is also an expert at finding the tiniest pieces of things she shouldn't be finding (and then putting them in her mouth).  I guess since little Miss Big Stuff has 4 teeth now she thinks she can eat anything and everything ... which she does.  She has quite the squeal and whine if we don't share whatever it is we're eating at any given time.  Therefore today, she got her first taste of french toast this morning and spaghetti tonight.  I'm pretty sure those aren't on the "approved baby food for 9 month olds" list. 

Lainey keeps me pretty busy but I am often reminded that we have another peanut on the way as I am still not feeling the best some days.  I am 16 weeks so...

An avocado!  That's exciting!  I'm trying to remember when I felt Lainey move for the first time and I *THINK* it was around 18-20 weeks so that should be right around the corner and I can't wait!  That is the best!  We have a doctor appointment tomorrow and I am looking forward to hearing his or her little heartbeat again.  Speaking of HIM or HER... I think we are once again leaning towards not finding out the gender of this little babe.  The moment Lainey was born and we heard "It's a GIRL!" was one of the best, best, BEST moments ever, if not THE best.  The planner in me wants to find out to be "ready" but I think waiting for that moment is actually going to be totally worth it again.  We'll see... Jed is really leaning towards not finding out and I go back and forth.  We have 4 weeks until my next appointment to decide! 

30!

Today is Jed's 30th birthday!  We have been celebrating for the past several days.  After all... 30 is a BIG deal!  (At least that's what I keep telling him!)  Look at these precious photos of little Jed...

(Always the dog lover)

Thursday I planned a surprise birthday party for him at Monterrey.  I don't know how, but he was on to me and I am a TERRIBLE liar but I tried really hard to cover my tracks and make a few excuses.  For example, when we go out to eat, we usually go pretty early (you know, with all of the older folk, like around 5, maybe 5:30).  It's just easier with Lainey.  But I didn't plan on us arriving at the restaurant until after 6:30 so it took a little stalling on my part.  I let him dilly dally around the house when he got off of work, he went for a run and took his time showering and getting out the door.  Also, when we got there, he immediately recognized one of his former roommate's cars in the parking lot, not just by the appearance of the car, but he even knew the license plate.  I quickly tried to explain why he might have been there and he seemed to buy it...  When we walked in and once he saw our friends he said, "Oh you DID throw me a surprise party!" Ha!

The funniest part of the night was when the waiters brought out his surprise birthday dessert, clapped loudly and sang some song in Spanish and proceeded to smash whipped cream all over his face and put a sombrero on his head.  We were all laughing pretty hard but Lainey...

Totally lost her marbles.  She's a sweet, sensitive soul, that girl.  She didn't like that they were teasing her Daddy!  Or she was scared by the sombrero.  I'm not sure.

After dinner, a few joined us at our house for cake and ice cream!

 

Today was his ACTUAL 30th birthday!  Lainey and I got up early (okay, Lainey always gets up early) to do a little decorating, get his present ready and make our favorite guy french toast and bacon.  Lainey even helped her Dad open his presents!

 

Here's the birthday boy and his favorite little lady before we headed off to church this morning!

This afternoon, Jed's parents came to visit (they're in Iowa visiting their other granddaughter too) and we went out for a birthday lunch at Old Chicago!  Lainey enjoyed her little Clifford cup and also spilled a whole container of cheerios and puffs on the ground.  Way to go Lainer.

We met up with our Mission to the City group this evening and enjoyed a pizza party at the park AND one more birthday celebration complete with cake!

Happy 30th birthday to JED! I'm so thankful to be married to such a wonderful man who loves the Lord, loves his family and loves others so faithfully. 

BBQ

 Everyone loves a warm spring evening, time with friends and grilled food!  We had our bible study over on Monday night for end of the year hang out before we get started with summer stuff.  It's always just fun to be able to be outside!  We even brought the couch from the porch outside for extra comfy seating... kind of like a frat house except for we're all too old to be in a fraternity. (Especially Jed... he turns 30 this weekend!!!)

 This series of pictures is really... special.

 

It was a really fun night.  We are looking forward to Mission to the City, Epicenter and volleyball this summer!

9 months!

Lainey turned 9 months old on the 12th!  I could not love this little 9 month old more than I do!  

She is such a joy!

 [Mommy got smart this time and stuck the foam letters to the wall with tape! :)]

When did she get so big?  I don't understand!

Happy birthday JILL!

 This week, Jenni, Rianne and Kelli organized a birthday SURPRISE for the one and only Jill Trost.  She was DEFINITELY surprised since it was a few days away from her actual birthday.  She is spending her special day in sunny FLORIDA with her family!

 All of the party people!  We enjoyed grilled meats courtesy of grill master Kelli Rolfes and assorted sides and treats!

 Even the babies were excited about Jill's birthday!

 Jill received some adorable things to enjoy during her trip and this summer!  She is one loved lady!

 Happiest birthday to you Jill!  We all love you very much!

Blessed weekend!

[I meant to post this much earlier in the week but alas, time has gotten away from me!]

This weekend was full and blessed!  We enjoyed wonderful weather and time with family.  My parents came down to visit and we had a great time.  Lainey stayed with them on Saturday morning for a couple hours while I went to a baby shower and Jed went to study for a test he was preparing for for work.  She loved playing with Grandma and Grandpa and even fell asleep on a walk in the stroller!  We ran some errands at the mall and ended the day in Knoxville and went out for dinner and back to my Grandma's for dessert!

Sunday was a big day.  Not only was it my first Mother's Day but it we also were able to to dedicate Lainey to the Lord at church, which was a really special way to celebrate the day.   We, along with several other families, recognized our need to depend on God for wisdom and strength as parents and committed to training our children to love God and love others according to the instruction of the Lord. Here is a picture of everyone on stage...  My dad thought he counted 26 children that were dedicated!  How incredible!

After church, we headed to our house for brunch!  It was extra special to celebrate Mother's Day with not just Lainey and Jed, but also my mom, dad and my Grandma Charlotte!

 After stuffing ourselves silly on egg bake, muffins, cinnamon rolls and fruit, we headed outside!  It was such a beautiful day!

During the afternoon, Lainey took a nap in her crib and then when I picked her up, she fell asleep again in my arms and we snuggled for nearly 2 hours.  Despite the fact that I couldn't move a muscle, it was a sweet afternoon!

The day ended perfectly with a Little Caesar's sausage pizza!  What a great Mother's Day!